The Chancellor: ’54 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sedan

The 4-door model 300, had its launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show in April 1951. It featured elegant modernist bodywork atop Mercedes’ proven X-frame chassis. The 300 was powered by an all new 3.0 litre overhead cam, aluminum head straight 6 coupled to a 4-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox. The 6-passenger 300 was available both as a sedan or cabriolet. The 300’s frame was made of ovoid steel tubes, with a double wishbone, coil spring axle and stabilizer bar up front and Mercedes’ typical double coil spring rear swing axle. The four-door 300 models were often referred to as Adenauers after Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany who served in office from 1949 to 1963. The Chancellor employed six custom 300 versions during his tenure. The rarest 300s are the Coupe and Cabriolets but the big sedans make quite a statement. The problem is they are fabulously expensive to restore and the market value just isn’t there yet. So if you have a hankering for a 300, you have to buy the best there is and pay as little as you can. The alternative to the 300 is a Rolls-Royce or Bentley so you may be better off on the reliability scale with the 300. Hagerty has a #1 Adenauer at $40,000 and that is the asking price for this one. It looks wonderful in the pictures and the restorer has a reputation for good work. The green velour may turn some buyers off but we like green. Contact the seller by clicking here.